The Sphenoid is a large bone shaped like a butterfly. It forms the floor of the cranium and the posterior wall of the eye sockets where the optic nerve exits through it from the rear of the eyeball. It makes up a large proportion of the eye socket, and most of the eye muscles are attached to it. It is associated with the orbit and the neural hardware supporting the sense of vision and also a primary factor in any eye muscle movements such as tracking, focusing, reading, visual integration and even comprehension. The Sphenoid also supports the portion of the brain containing the median light-sensitive organ of the Pineal Gland and its associated structures.
The Sphenoid connects the cranial skeleton to the facial skeleton and interfaces with all of the other cranial bones. Together with these cranial bones it is responsible for circulating the Cerebro-Spinal Fluid around the brain and spinal cord and thus has a direct influence upon the vitality of the Central Nervous System.
The Dura Mater attaches to the Sphenoid’s greater wings where it underlies and supports the bulk of the brain. The Pituitary Gland rests in the Sella Turcia Fossa in the Sphenoid and the respiratory motion of this bone is the primary component in the activation of secretion of hormones by the Pituitary Gland.
The Lateral and Medial Pterygoids, our two major chewing muscles attach the mandible to the sphenoid as well as many other important muscles of the TMJ.
Symptoms of an imbalanced sphenoid include headaches, mental disorders, vision problems, learning and comprehension difficulties, memory loss, endocrine system dysfunctions, skeletal imbalances. Because the sphenoid is part of so many of the body’s systems, balancing it can have a profound effect on a person’s total wellbeing.